Echinacea plant named ‘Mac ‘N’ Cheese’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’ characterized by large, bright orange-yellow flowers, ray florets held perpendicular to the stem, well-branched upright flower stalks, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea spp.

Variety designation: ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’. Echinacea is inthe family Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated as a fourthgeneration seedling from a planned breeding program using the parentsEchinacea paradoxa (unpatented) and Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Giant’(unpatented) for the initial cross. The exact parents of this selectionare unnamed proprietary, unreleased plants.

This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Large, bright orange-yellow flowers    -   2. Ray florets held perpendicular to the stem    -   3. Well-branched upright flower stalks    -   4. Excellent vigor

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows the flowers of Echinacea ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’ cut from a plantgrowing in the ground in full sun in the field in late summer in Canby,Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of a 9-month-old specimen growing in the ground infull sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby, Oreg. Canby is inZone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normalrainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby,Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—40 cm wide and 70 cm tall to top of flowers.        -   Form.—Basal clump.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color (Yellow White 158D), roots develop easily            from cuttings from the crown.-   Stem (flowering):    -   -   Type.—Ascending.        -   Size.—Branching to 70 cm tall to a terminal flower and 1.3            cm wide at base.        -   Internode length.—2 cm to 6.5 cm.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 146C mottled with Yellow Green 146A.-   Leaf (basal and stem):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate to broadly lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Basal, stem leaves alternate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 17 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate, continuing down petiole, clasping.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Topside — Yellow Green 147A with the vein Yellow            Green 147B; Bottom — Yellow Green 147A with the vein Yellow            Green 147C.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 8 cm long and 3 mm wide,            strigose, Yellow Green 147C.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Composite on stalked terminal heads.        -   Number of flowering stems per plant in summer.—2 to 5.        -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 70 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal flower and can grow to 22 cm long from            the top leaf to the base of a flower head; may branch 0 to 5            times; diameter growing to 11 mm wide near the flower head;            strigose; branched, with two to five branches, Yellow Green            145B mottled with Yellow Green 146B.        -   Size.—Grows to 11.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm deep as disc            enlarges.        -   Form.—Ray petals cup downward slightly, mature disc is            conic.        -   Immature inflorescence.—3 cm wide and 3 cm deep, ray petals            held upright and colored Greyed Yellow 162B with tips Yellow            Green 153B, disc is Yellow Green 146A.        -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, 31 to 36 in number,            each oblanceolate to lanceolate with the tip two to three            toothed, entire margins, base attenuate, sometimes            overlapping, grows to 5 cm long and 7 mm wide, glabrous on            both sides; topside color of young ray florets Yellow Orange            23A lightening to 21B and finally fading to Yellow 11C,            bottom side color Yellow Orange 20D lightening to Yellow            Orange 16C and finally to Yellow 11D.        -   Disc.—Flat becoming conic, 3.3 mm to 5.3 mm wide and            becoming 3 cm deep with maturity, overall color two toned            with Yellow Green 144A in the background with Yellow Orange            23A in the foreground.        -   Disc florets.—About 400 in number, each 11 mm long and 1.2            mm wide, each with one persistent, very stiff bract (8 to 9            mm long and Yellow Orange 23A on top half, Yellow Green 144A            on bottom half); corolla 6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, 5 lobed,            glabrous, Yellow Green 144D; overlay White 155D, 4 mm long;            pistil 6 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with an extruding,            2-branched stigma, spreading 3.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 150C,            style 6 mm long, Yellow 13A on top half and Yellow Green            144D on bottom half; stamen 4 in number, Greyed Orange 164B,            5 mm long, anthers 3 mm long and Brown 200A, filaments 3 mm            long, Yellow White 158C, pollen Yellow Orange 17C.        -   Phyllaries.—In 4 leafy series, area 4.5 cm wide and 12 mm            deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed, grow to 13 mm            long and 3 mm wide, Yellow Green 147B, margins strigose, tip            acute.        -   Receptacle.—Grows to 20 mm wide and 25 mm deep, White 155D.        -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Lovely, floral.        -   Bloom time.—Summer until frost in Canby, Oreg.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.-   Seeds: Average number of 24 seeds/head, each 4 mm long and 2.5 mm    wide, oval, Grey Brown 199C.    -   -   Fertility.—Good.-   Disease and pests: Echinacea are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery    mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. None of these have been    observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.    No resistance is known.

COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR ECHINACEA

Compared to Echinacea ‘Ruby Giant’, an unpatented plant and the originalseed parent in the breeding line, the new variety has orange-yellowrather than red-purple flowers.

Compared to Echinacea paradoxa (unpatented), the original pollen parentin the breeding line, the new variety is shorter, orange-yellow ratherthan yellow, more ray florets, and with ray florets held at right anglesto the stem rather than strongly reflexed.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Sunrise’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,235), the newvariety has larger flowers of a deeper yellow, that hold their color anddon't fade.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Matthew Saul’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,652), thenew variety has flowers that don't reflex, of a brighter yellow, thathold their color longer.

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.